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Spring Flower

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Posts posted by Spring Flower

  1. I don't know if this applies - but this article was helpful to me a few years' back.  I had DD (then 4) tested for Autism with Chidren's Hospital Los Angeles - and her results came back as not autistic - which didn't give me many answers at the time...

     

    I stumbled across this article about Hyperlexia and Einstein Syndrome - and for my daughter, Hyperlexia type 3 definitely applies.  It was actually a huge lightbulb for me when I discovered Hyperlexia Type III because it fit her so perfectly - it was pretty much an AHA moment (to use that over-used phrase - haha)

     

    My friend's son most likely has einstein syndrome - and again, she initially thought he had autism...but he doesn't quite fit the parameters for it.  

     

    This is the article - there are more, but this is what started me down the path of researching hyperlexia (and for my friend, researching einstein syndrome...)

     

    http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/2013/07/08/oops-when-autism-isnt-autistic-disorder-hyperlexia-and-einstein-syndrome/

     

    This may not apply to you - but it's worth a read...

     

    (Edited to add:  the article also talks about Savant Syndrome and Darold Treffort's book -  Islands of Genius: The Bountiful Mind of the Autistic, Acquired and Sudden Savant (2010))

     

    Thank you! I went through something similar with DD7 when she was 4. I had read a little about Aspergers and thought she may need to be tested. In the end I didn't feel quite right about it and didn't pursue it. I just found some of Darold Treffert's writing this week. I have a book on hold at the library and have been fascinated to read a few articles online. I also had that "aha" moment. I think DD7 fits the description of Hyperlexia III very well. This is one of the reasons I have waited so long to pursue testing with DS5. I have seen the improvement that DD7 has made over the past three years and have thought that DD5 will do the same. In the end, I decided that DS5's symptoms are too severe not to be evaluated. 

  2. You are welcome! I understand what you mean and remember how much I needed to come to terms with what I was experiencing at home with my son. In the pursuit of that knowledge, I stumbled upon Miraca Gross's book (referenced in that article I linked) and found reading the case studies in it extremely helpful.

    http://smile.amazon.com/Exceptionally-Gifted-Children-Miraca-Gross/dp/0415314917/

     

    You can find Hollingworth's Children Above 180IQ as an ebook here:

    http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/47403/pg47403-images.html

     

     

    I'm so grateful for people who have BTDT here on these boards. Thank you!!! I love reading case studies so I will be looking into these books. 

  3. DS5 will be evaluated for ASD in two weeks. In preparation, I have checked out a few books from the library about ASD and have read a bit about savant syndrome as it is associated with ASD. I feel like my son fits this description in many ways. He can calculate random future/past dates on the calendar and has an uncanny ability to manipulate numbers and make calculations. This goes way beyond being able to do math a few years above grade level. DS is not, however, "Rain Man" as is portrayed in the movie. From the little reading I have done, it seems like savant syndrome may be a spectrum. I realize that it is crazy to think that my son is a savant and I would never dream of saying it IRL. I thought it would be best to think things through here. A couple of questions:

     

    1. Where do you draw the line between savant and profoundly gifted? Or are they two entirely different things?

     

    2. Should I bring this up with the nueropsych? I'm afraid if I use the word "savant," she will laugh at me.  

  4. I'd do stock, not gravy. I think the only problem would be if it sat all day long on too high of a setting. Maybe heat the stock in a pan or microwave and pour it hot over the cold turkey in the crock pot? That would reduce the time it has to sit in the crock pot reheating.  

  5. Anything that can be done on Monday or Tuesday, I do it, even if it is only partial. Any prep done in advance makes things go so much more smoothly. I'm doing rolls today. I have had success with making my rolls and then putting them in the freezer before the final rise. This means I just need to pull them out first thing in the morning on Thursday and pop in the oven a few minutes before eating. Tomorrow I am doing sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and stew for Wednesday night. Wednesday morning I put the stew in the crock pot and then get to work on Thanksgiving food. I cube potatoes and put them in salt water to soak overnight in the fridge. I brine the turkey, and cut all vegetables. I make and bake all the pies except the apple. I leave the apple made but unbaked. I bake it first thing in the morning on Thursday and we eat it for breakfast. All final preparations happen on Thursday. Nothing is started from scratch on Thursday. 

  6. I have a friend who has stated that she's glad her DD is average. Her DD is a sweet, caring, lovable kid who is a happy B average student in a regular PS classroom, reads on grade level, and scores right about in the 50% on all standardized tests. She's not a stand out dancer, not a stand out soccer or softball player, and is generally liked, but not the most popular kid in her class. She's right about at the 50% of weight and height, is attractive but not beautiful, and is just plain a great kid. Parent conferences are easy, report card time brings no surprises. There are no IEPs, no having to advocate, no extra doctor's appointments.

     

     

    There's a lot to be said for average.

     

    I consider myself very average. Just as you describe here. My husband and kids are not. As I'm becoming more familiar with the world they live in, I see how difficult and complex it can be. I never would have guessed. All through school, I lived with the belief that smart people had it easy. Boy was I wrong.

  7. Gifted denial is a large part of having a gifted kid. It took me years (and these boards) to finally admit that my son was not going to ever really be normal. That is still hard for me...and for him. I was that kid in a small town, and I did not want him to be. At this point we actively talk about it and that has helped him find friends. Never academic friends, but friends. My son and I have talked a lot about how many parents of kids brag about how far ahead their kids are or how they are so brilliant and he now understands that he needs to just be excited for them. As he puts it, "No one who is really gifted brags about it. It hurts too much. Then everyone gets weird. Really gifted kids change the subject."

     

     

    "Gifted denial." I have never thought of it that way but it describes my feelings well. 

  8.  I keep his regular curriculum schedule in a notebook, but I haven't done anything too elaborate, just a simple outline for the year. 

     

     

     

    This is what I do and I think keeping it simple is fine. In addition to keeping a simple year outline, I type up a year-end reflection. (I've only done this twice so I'm no expert.) I start with language arts and type up a summary of everything we did for grammar, writing, reading, etc. I include any reflection on what was effective, what I would have done differently, and what I plan to do next year as a result. I set general goals for the new school year. I then do the same for math, history, science, and any extras. It doesn't have to be lengthy or elaborate. I've gone back and re-read my reflections many times. It is also a bit of a journal for my daughter to have when she is older so she knows the work she accomplished. 

  9. It is a really odd situation to be in - and one I feel like is really alienating bc there is a lot of ego involved in other parents, some kids, and just society in general surrounding giftedness and acceleration.  In a way, I think it would be AWESOME if my kids were at grade level in a regular school environment with typical peers.  

     

     

    Sounds like we do have a lot in common. 

  10. I'm very confused. On the main page of the website it says free shipping when you spend X number of dollars. But when I looked at the doll (the $16.99 one) it said "free shipping" was a shipping choice. I even selected it and it didn't say "must spend X more dollars to receive free shipping." I did not go 100% through with the transaction but did you see anything like this at checkout??

     

    http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/ShoppingCartDisplayCmd?_promoEnginePage=CART&catalogId=10104&isCartValidated=true&orderId=764680292&storeName=Kmart&storeId=10151&appID=&searsRnpEnabled=false&ddkey=http:OrderItemDisplay#/cart

     

    (not sure if that link will work).

     

     

    It shows 5.99 shipping for me.  :thumbdown:  

  11. DS5 is scheduled for an ASD evaluation in 3 weeks so we don't have an official diagnosis but I feel I will be able to get help here anyway. One of DS's repetitive behaviors is putting his fingers in his mouth. It usually isn't too sever and I haven't really worked with him on correcting this behavior yet. (We're still working on wearing clothes.) With the cold, dry weather lately, he has formed a bad rash around his mouth. It is really chapped and red. I tried putting chapstick on tonight and he cried for 5 minutes because it hurt. Question #1, how do I stop him from putting his fingers in his mouth? Question #2, how can I relieve the pain from the rash? TIA!

     

     

  12. Thank you everyone for the heads up! I'll be ordering today. I prefer to buy online since we don't live close to any stores except Kroger. I checked Kmart and it is $22.98 with shipping. That seems to be the best online option I can see. I've checked also checked Walmart, Target, Disney, and Kohl's. Any other ideas of where to look online?

  13. This is the first year I have had a child that really wants a popular toy for Christmas. Can any seasoned shoppers help me out here? DD really wants an Elsa doll this year. Several weeks ago we searched on Amazon and found one made by Mattel for $14.99 that she liked. It looks similar to a barbie. I added it to our wishlist and decided I would purchase it at the end of the month when we get our Christmas bonus money. I logged on today and it shows that the item is out of stock. I looked around a few other websites and it looks like there aren't many Elsa dolls available. Is this one of those *HOT* toys that every little girl wants that will be completely sold out before Christmas? Am I already too late? 

  14. First off, we live in a very well educated community with decent pubic schools. We have full day Kindergarten and red shirting is expected for young 5 year olds.

     

    I was recently in a conversation with a bunch of moms during DD's dance class. One mom pulls her DD out half day for kindergarten and does math (which is usually taught in the afternoon) at home with her. Another mom is a volunteer in the afternoons during math time in the same class. The volunteer mom was telling everyone about how she was asked by the teacher to do an informal assessment of each of the children. The children were supposed to count as high as possible. 

     

    At this point in the conversation I thought, "Wow! That would take forever to assess 26 children." DS5 once counted all the days on a calendar (365) and I'm sure he could go higher if he had the motivation. I realize he is very advanced at math but even my 1 year old can count to 20. 

     

    Apparently, according to the mom who did the assessment, most children in the class were able to count to 29. One child only made it to 13, a few only made it to 20, and one made it to 39. I about died when she told us that! I did what I could to disguise my shock. The mom who pulls her daughter out half day said, "Good! DD can count to 29 so I know we are right on track." 

     

    I realized I that I am living in a bubble with my children. Obviously I have NO CLUE what is normal academic development for young children. Anyone else feel this way sometimes?

  15. OK, I like the idea of vinyl tablecloths for everyday use and cloth for visitors. I think that will have to be the solution. Now if I can just find some vinyl tablecloths in 70" or 72" square! That's the other problem with this table--it's hard to find square covers in nice patterns (and for less than $60!). I'd be all set if I wanted to cover it in catering tablecloths though :tongue_smilie:

     

     

    We just bought this one last week for our brand new table that we want to keep nice:

     

    http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/hotel-deluxe-vinyl-table-pad/129072?Keyword=vinyl+tablecloth

     

    I bought the 70 square size assuming it would only cover the top of the table but it spills over just like a regular table cloth. I think it looks nice enough to use on its own for day to day stuff and is easy to wipe clean. I also bought a microfiber tablecloth for nicer occasions:

     

    http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/bardwil-linens-origins-microfiber-tablecloth/3170231

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